Ok, this is my first time down there, and i need all the help i can get. First off, i dont have the money to stay at a hotel or anything, is there anyplace where i can beach my boat and camp overnight? Where is the best place to put a boat in at, i've been looking at clark's inn.

Also, i'm going for shark primarily and need to know some good spots to fish for them, i heard that the pass just east of matagorda island is supposed to be good. What other fish could i expect to find down there besides trout and reds? And i think this is my last question at least for now, but will i need to pole around to get within distance of tailing reds and whatnot?

Thanks and God Bless,

Dan

Normally in the hot summer months you will find schooling Gafftop... I know it sounds funny...CATFISH that school?
It's crazy.. We filled up a large fish box in an hour.. Every cast was a LARGE fish. We just found some shad hittin the surface ( pelicans were diving) along the west shoreline around the entrance to Powderhorn Lake. Get some frozen shad or bring your castnet. Since we couldnt find any reds or specks that day, it turned an otherwise bad day into a good one. Also, the pass IS a good place to find shark. Try the Matagorda shoreline just west of the pass..

Heath,

Thanks for the information there. I'm not going to be fishing with live bait, but rather chumming for shark. I fly fish, so everything is artificial for me. You may not catch nearly as much, but the fight on a fly rod is absolutely incredible compared to convential tackle. Shark should be even more exciting if i can manage one or two on a fly. I have some top water poppers that are supposed to be good in shallow water for them...lets hope.

Everything i have read so far says the pass is the best place for shark, i'll let yall know how i do after i get back, but in the mean time, if anyone else has more information on it, i would love the help!

good luck trying to fish for anything cause its going to be packed on the water.

The worst part of the 4th will be fighting the boat ramp crowd with the rest of us. I think you can camp in some areas of Matagorda Island. If look through the old posts you can probably find info on it. What your planning will be tough fishing in my opinion. If I was going to try it, I would hope for a calm day and I would find a calm spot outside the south jetty about 15-20 yds off the rocks. Get some chum going and toss in some cut up bait. If the water is clear you will see the sharks when they arrive and if they show up they will eat anything you throw. I did this exact thing on the 4th last year. The kids had a blast, but every year is different....

A draper...thanks man, i really do appreciate it! I figure if i cant get a place to camp on the island i'll just anchor up in some shallow water (i have a jet boat that can run in 3" of water) and rack out fot eh night, close enough so i can let my dog out. But nonetheless, if i do get a single shoark on a fly, it will be completely worth the trip. Shark fishing is so rediculously insane and fun. Once you go once, you will want to go every chance you get!

Anywhere on the south shore or jetties might be good for sharks. Probably a little bigger catch at the jetties. This is probably a no brainer, but careful with the tide if you anchor off close to the shoreline. If you parked it in 8-12 inches at high tide, might be a long wait to get your boat out once the tide drops. A lot of the back bays on the island have a lot of rocks on the bottom, so take that into consideration too. Good luck, sounds like a blast!!

from previous trips we have not caught and sharks or anything really. but to catch some big ones you need to go to off shore oil rigs. and goodluck on the boat ramps